


Reaching Out (Tenipuri)

by TheRainRogue



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24364798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRainRogue/pseuds/TheRainRogue
Summary: Reaching Out follows Kira Rojo as she tries to find her place in life. With her are her twin baby brothers and her best friend. Through the struggles of her life, she will learn the true meaning of family, friendship and, most importantly, love.
Collections: Anime, Series





	1. The Twins

**Author's Note:**

> This was written a long time ago and remains as one of my favorite pieces to date. I don’t know if I’ll be completing this series, but I’m still proud of it and want to post what I’ve already written.

  * **Genre** : Friendship, Family, Comedy, Fluff ☁
  * **Word Count** : 1,887 ☁
  * **Pairing** : OC x ?? ☁
  * **World** : Anime, Prince of Tennis ☁



* * *

Rojo Kira followed the pathway toward the tennis courts in Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku, the ponk of the balls growing louder with every step she took. School had ended a while ago, leaving only the after school clubs behind. More specifically, the famed tennis club that the junior high students seemed to go nuts over. The high school division had a tennis team, as well, but they didn’t have as much fame as the middle schoolers’ team got. The reason for that was simple. While the middle school did have other sports, tennis was their main one. It was a big deal though, with all the trophies they’ve won, I guess you could see why.

The high school, however, offered more sports, evenly spreading out the student body to cheer for each one equally; not one was more important than the other. Kira wasn’t too sure why it worked out that way, but she summed it up to the fact that high schoolers are more angsty, and need more choices at outlets they can use to vent their frustrations. Middle school was difficult, but nothing compared to high school. It made Kira glad that this was her last year.

One thing Kira had noticed about the fans at Rikkai, was that they were not at all as crazy as everyone believed. Sure, there were a few delusional nut jobs that believed they could win the love of their beloved regular-sama, but most of the kids who cheered and supported Rikkai were doing it because they loved the team and wanted them to win. At Rikkaidai, it was all about rising together as one to annihilate the enemy. It was as simple as that.

Still, Kira thought it a bit stupid to give the regulars so much popularity just because, well, they were regulars. It’s completely pointless, but her opinion didn’t really matter in this case. She did not attend school with them so she couldn’t voice what she thought. And she thanked Kami-sama that she would never have to share a school with them because when they graduate to high school, she’ll be graduating to life.

Kira’s eyes scanned the crowd around and on the tennis courts, searching for a mess of fire-engine red hair that belonged to her younger brother, who was in his second year of middle school. He often stayed behind after school to watch tennis practice, even though he wasn’t part of the team OR the cheering squad. He simply enjoyed watching it. That’s not to say that he didn’t play, but it was on a more hobby basis; it was something he did when he was bored or needed something to pass the time. Really, the Rojo family wasn’t a very sporty family. They loved to watch, but playing one was just too much effort that could be spent sleeping or just lazing around. At least, that’s how the Rojo children are. They can’t be bothered to do anything unless they want to or are ultimately forced into it.

Kira walked up behind her brother, who stood at four ten, and set a hand on his hair, which had recently been dyed. The boy was originally a blonde, but because he wanted to try something different, he somehow managed to convince his mother to let him dye it when he started his second year. Finally, she caved and gave in to his begging – probably just to get him to shut up. It stood out glaringly against his personality. But he had been set on the idea of going with red since the day his big sister came home with blood-red highlights.

Rojo Kaizen looked up at his big sister, his usual bored-calm expression in place. “You’re early, sis.”

“Did you forget? We have to go pick up Kaoru since Ryuuka can’t do it.” She ruffled his already messy hair lightly. “You said you wanted to visit Seigaku again, right? If not, you can walk home with one of the regulars. You said before a couple of them live near us, right?”

“Kirihara-kun does. And I don’t think Sanada-san is too far away, either. But yes, I would like to visit Seigaku. I want to see Eiji-kun again.”

Kira didn’t want to imagine how bouncy and loud the cat-like third year would be when he saw that Kaizen’s hair was about the same shade as his own. She pushed the image away from her mind as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder, leading her brother to the gates. Ryuuka-san, Kira’s stepmother and the twins’ birth mother, was usually the one who went and picked up Kaizen’s twin, who attended Seishun Gakuen in Tokyo, but since she was busy, it was Kira’s job to get him instead. It had been a while since the two had visited Seigaku, so it was questionable how the regulars would react to the pair. Maybe they could slip in and out without being noticed? The pessimistic side of her brain told her not to count on it.

About fifty-five minutes or so later, the pair found themselves entering Seigaku’s gate. No student was in sight, but the sound of tennis balls being hit told them what direction to go in. Like his younger twin, Kaoru liked to watch tennis matches, but he wasn’t on the team himself. He had been asked several times by Seigaku’s team, but he declined each time. He had his sights set on the baseball club, but he had yet to make an effort to join. The twins were a lot alike, especially in looks – the only way you can tell them apart now is by the color of their hair-, and their personalities only differ slightly.

Kaizen was… well, bland for lack of a better word. He always bore the same bored-calm expression, never changing it no matter what situation he was in. He drawled when he talked, always taking on a bored tone. His voice stayed the same pitch, no matter what the situation – the only exception to that is when he’s crying, which isn’t very often. His hair, now an almost blinding red, was short, but his bangs were long, often hanging in his liquid silver eyes, which he had inherited from his mother. Because of this, he often keeps them pinned to the side and out of the way with bobby pins.

Kaoru was quiet. While he often shared the same expression as his brother, it did change. He wasn’t as rude as his younger twin, and was very kind to other people, especially where their feelings were concerned. He was more social, as well, and people seemed to be attracted to him like magnets, even though he doesn’t go out of his way to make bonds with people. He’s a lot more responsible and mature, though he tends to take on too much, and never can stand up and say it for worry that he’ll let someone down. His hair was still the same blonde color that he had been born with, the same length as his brothers, but parted to the side instead of pinned back.

Rojo Kaoru’s eyes shifted to the pair when they approached and he stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder with a small smile. “Hello, bro, sis.”

“How was school?” Kira asked softly, pushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen out of place. Kaoru was also the weaker of the twins, despite being older. He got sick easily and spent most of his childhood in and out of the hospital. She believed that was the reason behind Kaizen’s distant nature; he had been really scared that he was going to lose his brother.

“It was good. Ryoma-kun nearly got trampled today by fangirls, but thanks to Momo-chan’s quick reflexes, and Inui-senpai’s threats, the fan club retreated back to their respective classes.”

“You’ve never taken anything from that guy, have you?” Kaizen questioned blankly, his bored gaze set on the elder twin.

He quickly shook his head, causing more strands of his blonde hair to cover his eyes, which he brushed away before speaking. “Iie. Oishi-senpai and Tezuka-buchou forbade Inui-senpai from offering his juice to anyone outside the tennis club.”

“I still don’t trust him. You should have a talk with him, Kira-nee-chan.”

“I agree.”

Kaoru’s cheeks tinted pink at the overprotective nature of his siblings, but he couldn’t help the smile that broke onto his lips. “You don’t have to worry, I’ll be fine, really.”

The pair exchanged a look, but before they could say anything else, a loud ‘Hoi! Look, Echizen!’ caught their attention before Kaizen was engulfed by a red blur. He now lay sprawled on the ground with Kikumaru on top of him, arms tight around his neck and cheek rubbing against his own. “Long time no see, Zen-chan!”

“You’re heavy,” he managed out in a bored voice, despite the fact that the wind had been knocked out of him.

“Eiji!” Oishi came rushing over, a panicked look on his face as he ushered the third year off. “Are you okay, Kaizen-kun?”

The red-head nodded, accepting the offered hand.

“You don’t do that to Kaoru too, do you?” Kira questioned, glancing at the boy beside her who had paused in dusting his uniform off. He wanted to know the answer, as well.

“He tries,” Oishi shook his head with a sigh, one hand on his hip. He really was the mother hen of the team. “But Kaoru-kun’s reflexes are pretty impressive. He usually misses and lands on Echizen…”

The elder Rojo locked eyes with the blonde as if to confirm the tale and he promptly nodded, letting her know that it was okay. Even though Kaoru had been with these guys for a year already, she wasn’t ready to trust them just yet, not with her fragile baby brother. And she knew Kaizen felt the same way.

Kikumaru edged his way closer to the blonde, poking his side with a wide grin.

Kaoru took the hint and turned to his big sister, his hands twisting the strap of his bag, a sure sign that he was nervous. “Um… nee-chan?”

“Hmm?”

“Well, Seigaku has a tournament coming up – ”

“The regional tournament!” Momo added in, excitedly.

“ – And I was wondering if, maybe, I could go?”

Kira and Kaizen exchanged another look. “When is it?”

“In a couple of days,” Oishi responded, offering them a small smile. “If you agree, we promise to look after your brother.”

“What do you think?” Kira asked the red-headed twin, who simply shrugged in reply.

“Your call.”

Kira adapted a blank look as she surveyed the blonde. She could tell with one look that he really wanted to go, but he wouldn’t argue if she told him no – that was Kaizen’s job, not his. “Alright. But we’ll be going, as well.”

“Thank you, nee-chan!” Kaoru smiled greatly, wrapping his thin arms around her waist. She returned the hug, patting the top of his head.

“Well, if you’ll excuse us. Ryuuka-san is probably waiting for us by now.” Kira nodded to the group before turning and heading toward the entrance – or in this case, the exit. Kaizen said nothing, turning around to follow the older Rojo, while Kaoru bid his goodbyes before running after the pair.

* * *


	2. Nightmares

  * **Genre** : Friendship, Family, Comedy, Fluff ☁
  * **Word Count** : 802 ☁
  * **Pairing** : OC x ?? ☁
  * **World** : Anime, Prince of Tennis ☁



* * *

The raven-haired female walked in between the twins, one hand holding Kaoru’s while the other swung freely at her side; he had always been the more affectionate twin, while Kaizen was more emotionless – not like he didn’t have them, he just chose not to show them. Kira was a lot like him in that respect. She had the emotions, she just didn’t like exposing them for people to trample on like they had done throughout her school years. Another reason why she was so protective of them, because she didn’t want them to experience the same things she had. Even though she loved her father and stepmother, her brothers were her life, and she would never choose anyone over them.

“This tournament… it should be interesting, right?” Kaizen spoke monotonously, his hands clasped behind his head.

“In any case, we should meet some interesting people.” She agreed with a small nod.  
“Are you going to bring Joey and Toushirou?”

“Joey will probably force his way into coming. Shirou will probably politely decline, just to be forced there by Joey.”

“Think they will cause a scene?”

“Probably. While Toushirou is polite, he has a nasty temper, one that only Joey can spark… and then throw gas on. He’s a moron, really.”

“Sis, you shouldn’t call your friends names.” Kaoru scolded lightly, tugging on his sister’s hand with a small pout.

“I’m not sure they can be considered friends, Kaoru, but I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, sis.”

“He is a moron, though,” Kaizen added in, making his twin sigh and set a hand to his forehead. They should have been the twins, they were so much alike it was unbearable! “I’ll bring my camera.”

“Please do.”

He sighed again. The siblings he had to deal with…

* * *

Kira was asleep, as anyone would be at two in the morning, her comforter barely covering her as she laid on her side, one arm hanging off the bed. She was a deep sleeper, so she didn’t hear when her door was pushed open, or when it was closed. Kaoru walked softly across the hardwood floor of her room, the bed dipping in under his weight when he climbed onto it. His hands shook the female lightly, but he didn’t speak her name, too afraid that his voice would crack. It took a bit of effort, but she finally opened her eyes, an annoyed look plastered on her face. It quickly disappeared when Kaoru came into view, biting his lip with watery silver eyes. She sat up quickly, hands on his shoulders to pull him into a hug. His arms wrapped tight around her, his tears falling onto the white t-shirt she wore. This had happened many times over the past years.

It hadn’t been happening too much recently, but every couple of months or so, he’d have a nightmare. Not just any random nightmare. The same nightmare over and over again. And every time, he’d wake up on the edge of tears or already crying. At first, he had tried going to Kaizen for comfort, but being the slate of stone that he is, he didn’t make him feel much better, so he started running to Kira instead. Her brothers she had no trouble showing her emotions too, even if it meant breaking down and crying with him – something she despised because it made her feel weak when she’s supposed to be strong.

The nightmares started when he was four years old. He had been in the hospital with a bad case of pneumonia. She didn’t know the whole story, but apparently, the doctors underestimated his case and didn’t do enough to help him. For about five seconds, he was dead – which explains her hatred for doctors and hospitals in general. They managed to bring him back to life, but ever since he’s had the same recurring nightmare. The only thing is, he refuses to say what happens in the dream. Kaoru is naturally a sensitive kid, though he hides it well, it’s still startling to see him cry.

Kaoru’s body shook softly with silent sobs as she stroked his hair, shifting to rest her back against the wall. She whispered comforting words in his ear, running her fingers through his soft blonde hair in an attempt to soothe him back to sleep. The good thing about the situation is that he won’t have the dream again for several months, so he has no fear of going back to sleep. Actually, he welcomed it, because it made him forget about the dream, if only temporarily.

His breathing evened out and she slowly lowered him under the cover of the comforter, slowly pulling his arms from around her. She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn before sliding down beside him. Within seconds, she was out.

* * *


	3. Unsynchronized

  * **Genre** : Friendship, Family, Comedy, Fluff ☁
  * **Word Count** : 1,235 ☁
  * **Pairing** : OC x ?? ☁
  * **World** : Anime, Prince of Tennis ☁



* * *

The time for the regional tournament had arrived, and excitement was rolling off of the Seigaku regulars as the entered Shikinomore sports park. Kaoru was excited as well, his nightmare long since forgotten, but his two siblings watched over him closely just in case.

The regulars approached the sign-in table, gaining looks from everyone in the area. Kira raised an eyebrow as she and the twins walked a few feet behind them. Was Seigaku really that intimidating or something? It didn’t seem like it to her. Tezuka maybe, but the whole of Seigaku? Not what she would consider ‘intimidating’. Of course, she was a high schooler and had seen plenty of things far scarier than they ever had.

“It’s the regional tournament! I’m so nervous.” Kachirou, one of Seigaku’s freshmen, stood behind the fence watching a rally. He was on the right side of the three.

“Kachirou, why are you nervous? It’s not like you’re participating.” Katsuo stood on the left.

“That’s true. I’m just overwhelmed by this moment.”

“Seigaku is the number one seed.” Horio stood in the middle. “The matches for the other schools have already started, but our school can be late, it’s cool.”

“It seems like a waste. Since we’re already here, we should have watched the other matches too.”

“Seigaku is special. S-p-e-c-i-a-l.”

Kira didn’t know who they were specifically, not being familiar with Seigaku, but she did know they were referred to as the ‘freshmen trio’. The boy in the middle was the one who was always going on about his two years of tennis experience, or so Kaoru had mentioned before.

A couple second years walked by them, grabbing their attention and the Rojo siblings’. “Freshmen, wandering around will get you lost.”

“The match starts soon. Gather in the court.”

“Yes!”

Kaoru grabbed both Kira and Kaizen’s hands and followed suit, biting his lip in anticipation.

“Hey, you hear who’s gonna be the third singles player?” Katsuo asked excitedly.

“No, but singles one is Tezuka-buchou, then Fuji-senpai is singles two. So it might be Momo-senpai.”

“Shouldn’t they know the order already?” Kira questioned her younger brother, who shook his head in response.

“Normally the coach will announce it before the game begins. But I think she was having trouble deciding, so no one knows except for Tezuka-buchou and Ryuzaki-sensei.”

“Ah.”

“It has to be! Echizen can’t possibly be the singles three player.” Horio went on.

Once we reached the rest of the group, Inui stood before everyone with the list held up so everyone could see. “This is the order we handed in for registration.”

“Ah! Tezuka-buchou isn’t going to play against Gyokurin?” one of the second years called in surprise. Didn’t it make sense to save the captain for a match against a strong team? Gyokurin didn’t seem too strong to Kira.

“Is it to keep him for later?” another called before taking the list. “Ah! Echizen and Momo are in doubles?”

Kaoru bit his lip as if he knew something the others didn’t. He didn’t speak about Tezuka, but he commented about the doubles pair instead. “Ryoma mentioned something about him and Momo struggling in a doubles match against some guys at the street tennis courts. If I had to guess, I’d say they have been practicing and, possibly, volunteered.”

Inui nodded, having heard the blonde. “That is correct. Ryuzaki-sensei had a tough time deciding until the end.”

“What’s with the direction of the wind?” the second year questioned, more to himself than anyone else.

The regulars were sitting on the bench, going through their things and making sure everything was ready. Kira turned her attention away from the talking second years, toward the red-head and his doubles partner. Oishi simply said the boy’s name and he knew exactly what his partner needed, and vice versa. It was quite impressive, and rare, to see people that in synch. She tilted her head to the side in wonder. They must be close.

“Most all doubles pairs are close like that if they’ve been together for a long time,” Kaoru commented after seeing his sisters look of bewilderment.

“So we can’t expect the same with Echizen and Momo-chan, then?” Kaizen drawled, lazily clasping his arms behind his head. Kaoru nodded.

Kachirou came up beside the blonde, nodding in agreement. “That’s just like the Golden Pair. They have good harmony.”

“Golden pair?” Kira questioned the small boy.

“Ah, you didn’t know?” he looked up at her and smiled. “Kikumaru-senpai and Oishi-senpai are called the Golden Pair because of how in synch their doubles are!”

“Heh, that’s actually kinda cool… for middle schoolers.”

“Oi, Echizen, can you give me that?” Momo caught their attention.

“What’s ‘that’?” Ryoma responded.

“That! The towel under your behind!”

The three freshmen, along with Kaoru, all sweatdropped, while Kira and Kaizen kept their blank expression. They all shared the same thought, though. Not synchronized at all…

After waiting a bit longer, the match between the two schools finally began. Kaizen made it a point to lean over the short green wall in a lazy manner, while Kaoru stood beside him, hands on top of the wall. Kira stood beside him, hands in the pockets of her sleeveless hoodie.

“Singles one, Fuji of Seigaku and Suzuki of Gyokurin.” The referee called as the two teams faced one another. “Five matches are played. In order to win, three matches must be won. This is Seigaku’s first match. Even if someone wins, all five matches will be played.”

“Well, that’s lame.” Kaizen drawled.

“What do you mean, Kaizen?” Kachirou asked, looking at the slumped over boy. The other two were looking at him questionably.

“Even if they win, they still have to play all five matches? Too much work.”

“Ah, well…” Katsuo sweatdropped. “It’s not like one person is playing all the games, senpai…”

“Feels like it.”

“All matches are a one set match!” the ref continued.

“So, what is going to happen?” Ryuzaki-sensei, whom Kira had only met once before, sat on the bench just in front of the wall. The siblings had no problem with her because, knowing of Kaoru’s past health conditions and how fragile he is, she had watched over him when the siblings couldn’t. For that, they were grateful to her. “Don’t think too hard, Tezuka. It’s better to relax.”

“I understand.”

“First match, in doubles: Seigaku’s Momoshiro/Echizen pair. Gyokurin’s Izumi/Fukawa pair.” Came over the loudspeaker, and the air grew tense.

“Kaoru?” Kachirou tugged on the blue and white jersey he wore. “Do you think Ryoma and Momo-senpai can win?”

“It’s hard to say…” Kaoru bit his lip. “I’ve never seen them play before, so I can’t really say… it’s possible, of course.”

The two pairs shook hands, exchanging words they couldn’t hear before beginning the match. Kira wasn’t sure what to feel, not knowing these people well. She also hadn’t been to a tennis match in a long time, so the feeling welling up inside her seemed unfamiliar.

“They are arguing,” Inui stated, leaning on the wall on the other side of Kira.

“Oh, now I see the problem.” Fuji, naturally, stood on the other side of the wall, a hand to his chin. Kira got a bad feeling about him. He didn’t seem like a bad person per say, it was just… something seemed off about him. She made a mental note to keep an eye on him from now on.

* * *


	4. Beginners

  * **Genre** : Friendship, Family, Comedy, Fluff ☁
  * **Word Count** : 1,129 ☁
  * **Pairing** : OC x ?? ☁
  * **World** : Anime, Prince of Tennis ☁



* * *

“Echizen, let’s go with the AH-UN strategy.” Momo looked down at the first year.

“Okay.”

“You know it?” Eiji questioned, without looking back at Inui.

“No,”

Kira exchanged a glance with Kaoru, who shrugged in response.

“One set match! Gyokurin, Izumi to serve.”

“Fight! Fukawa! Izumi! Show them your Gyokurin spirit!”

“Ikie! Momoshiro! Echizen!”

Kira scowled, at the screaming kids. “Oi, Kaizen.”

“Yes, sis?”

“I just remembered why I prefer watching tournaments on TV.”

“You and me both, nee-chan. We can suffer together, for Kaoru’s sake.”

Kira nodded in agreement while Kaoru sweatdropped at the dramatic exchange.

The ball was served, easily returned by Echizen. Izumi went in for the kill.

“Go ahead and embarrass yourselves with your shabby combination. Here it goes!” he sent the ball straight down the middle. “It’ll go through as usual.”

“AH!”

“UN!”

The pair chanted, one after the other as they both headed for the ball. Momo took the swing, sending it down the middle of the opponent’s court and scoring the first point of the match.

“He returned it!”

“But, last time…”

“Love-15”

“Momo and Echizen are surprisingly in good harmony.” A second-year pointed out.

“That was a great effort.”

“They did it! One point right off the bat!” Kachirou cheered, his fist in the air.

“I thought so. I knew Echizen could do it.”

“Heh, not bad,” Kira commented, her hand on her chin. “But how long will it last, I wonder?”

“It being Ryoma and Momo-senpai… I don’t think it will last long.” Kaoru mused, folding his arms over his chest. “Demo, I think they can recover if they begin to fall. That’s just the kind of guys they are.”

The two banged their rackets together.

“Works like a charm!”

“AH!”

“UN!”

“Love-30”

“Hmm, it’s certain they have no problems, but…” Horio commented.

“That shout… it’s embarrassing.”

“Yeah.”

“Our blooming doubles technique, it’s all thanks to me.” Momo gloated.

“I’m the one who decided it,” Ryoma commented dryly.

Izumi sent the ball flying into the air, toward the back of the court. Momo took a step back, like he was going to go for it, but stopped, allowing Ryoma to catch the shot instead.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“The other side of the court is exposed like a stripper’s chest,” Kaizen commented, making everyone turn to look at him weirdly. Kaoru blushed at the statement, hiding his face in his sister’s side while she took to glaring at the red-head. “I wonder if they can cover..?”

As expected, the ball was returned to the left side of the court, which was completely open. Both boys ran to grab the ball and ended up colliding rackets, successfully missing the ball.

“15-30”

“The beginning of the end, aye?” Kira mused.

“They did it.” Ryuzaki had a bead of sweat on her cheek as she watched on.

“There’s no teamwork anywhere besides the midcourt,” Tezuka stated. Kikumaru hid his laughter behind his hand.

“I have a bad feeling…”

“Me too.”

Izumi served again, lobbing the ball into the air.

“Ah! A weak serve!”

“This is their chance!”

“Yatta! Finish it!”

“They did it on purpose,” Oishi observed, making Kaoru nod in agreement.

“Oishi-senpai is right. They’re trying to make them lose their composure.”

The two from Gyokurin approached the net.

“They’re both too close to the net, they can’t return the ball!”

Momo hit the ball back to them, but Fukawa easily returned it to the corner. Neither had a chance to respond.

“30 all.”

“Teamwork is the most important aspect in doubles,” Fukawa told them.

“Let’s finish this.”

“Go! Gyokurin! Good luck!”

Kaizen twitched. “They’ve got spirit.”

Kira smirked. “Too much, if you ask me.”

“Let’s cheer too!”

The ball was off again.

Instead of allowing Ryoma to return it, Momo jumped in, leaving the right side of the court wide open like a stripers chest, as Kaizen referred to it as. Had they not learned from the first time?

“40-30”

The opponent’s seemed to be perfectly in synch, not missing a beat.

“Game Gyokurin. One game to love.”

“They lost,” Kachirou said sadly.

“Gyokurin is in rhythm,” Horio added.

“As expected.” Inui appeared behind the three. Kira found it easy to find your attention drawn to him, given his size and strange nature.

“Ah, Inui-senpai!”

“When their formation is ripped apart like that, no matter how strong they are, it’s hard to get points.” He explained.

“Inui-senpai, is the formation for doubles really that different from singles?”

Kira listened closely, actually finding herself interested. Unlike her two brothers, she didn’t know much about tennis, but she was starting to want to learn more. Knowledge is power, they say.

“That’s the basic formation of a doubles pair.” Inui motioned towards his teammates. “But…”

Gyokurin rushed the net once again.

“Once their formation is broken, people who aren’t used to doubles, like Echizen and Momo, will end up exposing one side of the court. In theory, the first one to reach the ball should hit it and the other person should cover the other half of the court. In Momo and Echizen’s case, their individual reach is so broad that they’ll tend to go after the ball, leaving openings for the opponent to exploit.”

Kaoru glanced up at his sister, who was watching the match. He knew she was listening to every word Inui spoke, mulling it over in her mind. It was rare to see her take an interest in something.

“Game, Gyokurin!”

“Wasn’t that my ball just now?” Ryoma called, annoyed.

“The person in front can hit, too!” Momo responded back with an attitude.

“If you can’t hit a winner, then you shouldn’t have hit it.” Ryoma turned away from him.

“What’d you say? Got a problem with that?”

And then they were in each other’s face. Kira’s eye twitched as she fought back the urge to walk up to them and slap them. Morons.

“Seigaku, stop it!” the ref called.

“Ahcha! They’re turning on each other.”

“Not a good thing…”

“Inui-senpai, for them to make a comeback, what do they need to do?”

“There’s no way to beat the combination of Izumi and Fukawa right now.” He explained.

“This is bad. If it keeps going on…”

“What to do…”

“Don’t worry, it’s Echizen we’re talking about. I’m sure he has something prepared for doubles.”

The sound of something hitting the ground caught their attention. Fuji had knocked over Echizen’s bag, and when he picked it up, a green-covered book fell out. Fuji, Kikumaru, Inui, and the freshmen trio all gathered around to read what it said on the cover.

“Too far away…” Kira muttered.

“In Ryoma-kun’s bag…”

“Doubles for beginners.”

“Eh?” Horio paused. “YOU’RE KIDDING ME!”

Kira snickered, covering her mouth with a ringed hand. Beginners… you’ve gotta be joking!

* * *


End file.
